Electrical connector



y 2 1945- l. M. SCHEY, JR

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed May 10, 1944 Inventor: Ira M Sche ,Jr W 6/] Hus Abtor'ngg Patented May 29, 1945 2,377,187 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Ira M. Schey, Jr., Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to General ElectricCompany, a corporation of New York Application May 10, 1944, Serial No. 534,914

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical connectors and has for its object to provide an improved construction and arrangement for detachably connecting a number of electrical conductors to a stationary terminal board.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following specification and to the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a face view of an electrical connector embodying" the invention, the

insulating strip 2 having transversely extending walls 3 which define between them transversely extending grooves 4. Strip 2 may be of any suitable length and provided with any suitable number of transverse grooves 4. In the present instance, it is shown as being provided with three. It may be fastened to base I by means of screws 5. Attached to the bottom wall of each groove 4 is a stationary contact strip 6 which may be suitably riveted to the plate and'which at opposite ends is provided with threaded openings. What maybe considered the rear threaded openings are provided with releasable fastening members here shown in the form of screws 7 which are located between partition walls 3 and thread into what may be considered the inner set of openings. On the underside of terminal strip 2 are terminal members 8 which are connected to the other set of openings by suitable screws which pass through the terminal members 8 and thread into such openings. Terminal members 8 are provided with terminal tips 9 to which electrical conductors l may be connected as shown in Fig. 4. The construction so far described forms a stationary terminal board. It may be a fixed part of any suitable electrical apparatus.

For connection with the stationary terminal board is a removable terminal board comprising an elongated strip I l of insulating material having attached to its under surface transversely extending contact strips I2. At one end, contact strips [2 are providedwith suitable means I3 to which may be connectedelectrical conductors I4. At their other end, the contact strips are provided with U-shaped ends l5 for engagement under the heads of screws 1. Elongated strip H between the contact strips is provided with transversely extending grooves I6 adapted to telescope with the transversely extending walls 3 on terminal strip 2. Contact strips I 2 may be attached to terminal strip H in any suitable manner such as b means of rivets l2a.

In use, the stationary terminal board is attached to a stationary base or wall I and electrical conductors In, which represent permanent wiring of an electrical apparatus, are connected to the terminal strip 6 by soldering or other suitable means. Electrical conductors l4 are attached to terminal strips I2 and are suitably laced or bound together. To attach the conductors 14 to the conductors ID, the movable terminal strip II is positioned to bring the U-shaped ends I 5 under the heads of terminal screws 7 after which the terminal screws are screwed down. When positioned in this way, the transverse grooves l6 of the terminal strip l l telescope with the partition walls 3 as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, the, movable terminal strip H being directly on top of the stationary terminal strip 2. This forms in substance individual chambers or pockets in which the respective terminals are located. When it is desired to disconnect the wires, it is necessary merely to loosen the screws 1 after which the movable terminal board with conductors l 4 connected thereto can be moved away from the stationary terminal board as a unit, as shown inFig. 1.

The arrangement has the advantage that the wiring can be quickly and. easily disconnected and reconnected with a minimum amount of trouble and with no possibility of the connections being inaccurately made. Also, the arrangement has the advantage that it is compact and, due to the telescoping arrangement, occupies a minimum amount of space in a transverse direction.

In Fig. 5 is shown an arrangement wherein the movable terminal plate does not telescope over the stationary terminal plate but stands in line with it. In this figure, ll indicates a stationary wall or base to which is attached a terminal strip similar to that shown in Figs. lto 4 except that the terminal strips l8, corresponding to the terminal strips 6 of Figs. 1 to 4, are provided at the one end with terminal screws iii to which the fixed wiring is connected and with terminal screws ZO-fcr connection with the terminal strips on theremovable terminal board. 4 The removable terminal board comprises an in"- sulating strip 2| having transversely extending grooves between which are walls 22. Attached to the bottom of each roove by means of screws 23 are terminal strips 24 which at one end are provided with means 25 for the connection of conductors 26 and at the other ends with U- shaped ends 21 for connection with fastenin screws 20. When the removable terminal member is connected to the stationary terminal memher, the U-shaped ends 2! are inserted under the heads of screws 20 and the screws tightened. When in this position, the transverse Walls 22 stand in alignment with the transverse walls 28 on the stationary contact strip, thus providing continuous grooves in which the contact members are located.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a stationary terminal board comprising an elongated strip of insulating material having transversely extending partition walls which define grooves, transversely extending contact strips fixed to the bottom walls of said grooves, and releasable fastening members carried by said strips; a removable terminal board comprising a second elongated strip of insulating walls when said ends are brought into engagement with said fastening members.

2. In combination, a stationary terminal board comprising an elongated strip of insulating material having transversely extending partition walls which define grooves, transversely extending contact strips fixed to the bottoms of said grooves, means located beneath said elongated 

